The Tight End and my Week 3 NFL picks

Good morning, ladies and gentleman! I feel like it has been awhile since I posted to my blog. I’m sure it has left my loyal fraternity of readers feeling betrayed and confused. Worry not, for I am back.

Last week, I stormed back for a clutch victory in my fantasy football league. I was down 15 points heading into Monday Nights game. I needed Ahmad Bradshaw and the Giants D/ST to come up big. Bradshaw rushed 15 times for 59 yards, and the Giants D/ST recovered two fumbles and one for a touchdown. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. I am now 1-1 on the season.

I had a good week of picks, going 10-6 to make my seasonal record a sharp 19-13. Let’s see if we can add to that number this weekend!

So, without further ado- my thoughts on the NFL tight end position and my week three NFL picks! Bon appetite!

The New England Patriots have always believed that the tight end is a valuable asset to a successful offensive attack. Heck, Benjamin Watson looked like a serviceable tight end in his tenure with the Pats. As all of you know, tight ends are hybrid lineman-receivers who often cause match-up problems for the defense. Think about it, how are you going to guard a 6’6, 265 pound behemoth with a 35 inch vertical, can bench press 300 pounds, runs through arm tackles, and has charmin-soft hands? Oftentimes a linebacker is matched up against the tight end – a win for the offense. If I’m Philip Rivers and I see James Harrison chasing around Antonio Gates, I’m giddy. Linebackers want to fill gaps and make hard hits, they want absolutely no part of man coverage.

What about when a 5’10, 195 pound speedster lines up against the tight end? Game over. The tight end is too big and strong and can jump too high for a CB to even dream of covering him.

Tight ends love to block, as well. These men are so big and athletic, they can succesfully block down lineman, blitzing linebackers, and charging safeties. With two tight ends on the field, the strategy employed by the Patriots, it is impossible for the defense to predict what’s coming.

So why don’t we see more tight ends going early in drafts? Clearly they are key to a fluid, unpredictable, explosive offense. The Pats have Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the Chargers Antonio Gates, the Cowboys Jason Witten, the Texans Owen Daniels, the Colts (with Peyton Manning, of course) have Dallas Clark. Surprisingly, the last time a tight end was taken in the first round is 2006. That’s five years without one being taken in the top 32 picks. I dunno, but I feel like it doesn’t hurt to stock up on athletic freaks, play-action bravados, and red zone monsters.